When it comes to a smart pair of wireless headphones that are going to remain firmly in place and are built for an energetic gym session, the Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds can't be faulted.
Not only are the Soundcore by Anker X10 earbuds sweatproof, but they also have an astonishingly good active noise cancellation feature that cuts out any grunting sounds that normally drown out your music, meaning a peaceful gym session with your choice of playlist as the soundtrack to your workout.
The true wireless earbuds are a great purchase from Soundcore, not just for affordability; there are some great extra features too, like the personalised in-app sound profiles to create your own white or pink noise, plus BassUp technology and an IPX7 waterproof rating.
What's The Best commercial content editor, Natalie Corner, has tested these out over a few months and admits she often used them without music to reduce loud noises. So read on to see what else she thought in this review.
Quick verdict:
Adaptable earbuds that remain secure in all manner of workouts, plus great noise-cancelling for those moments where you want to drown out sounds.
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Pros
- Sweatproof
- Secure adaptable fitting
- Noise cancelling
Cons
- Case durability
- Material peeled off earbuds
What’s good?
I’ve tried different styles of earbuds and found they fall out at the slightest hop or jump and were in no way secure, with poor audio. So, because of this I never thought I could use wireless earbuds for the gym and over-ear headphones seemed like the only solution. However, constant sweat and the fact I can’t remove the ear pads on my over-ears to clean them meant I was on the lookout for something suitable and lightweight for a sweaty gym session.
Enter the waterproof Soundcore Sport X10 Earbuds from Anker, with the addition of rotatable ear cuffs they work perfectly for what I need. Even though AirPods seem to be at the top of everyone’s wishlists, I’m never going to buy something when they’re at risk of dropping out of my ears, so the £80+ price point of the Sport X10s are an investment I would be happy making. (Full transparency these have been provided to me by Soundcore by Anker to test.)
The varied choice of silicone earbud tips is also helpful so that I could select different sizes for my pierced right ear to keep it secure with the noise-cancelling intact.
Over the six months I’ve been testing them, the only time the earbuds have become slightly dislodged is because my ears got too sweaty, so through no real fault of the Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds they did slip out, but the ear cuff stopped them from disappearing altogether unlike the stories I’ve heard of Apple AirPods (see sweaty earbuds in below image).
The buds themselves are easy to clean, I just had to be careful not to lose the ear tips when I removed them. I should probably clean the case more often as grime seems to transfer quite easily in the holder and build up.
What makes these earbuds stand out for me is the playback time – 8 hours on one use, plus three full charges from the case. It feels really comforting knowing that I can do a long journey, like catching a train, onto a four-hour flight and then an airport transfer on the other side all on one charge. With extra juice in the case as backup.
In some instances where I get irritated by noise but don’t want to listen to music, these earbuds work great as earplugs due to the excellent noise-cancelling feature.
What’s okay?
This is more about my own forgetfulness, but after I set up any type of wireless earbuds and I come to use Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds when out and about, I can never remember what the controls are. It wasn’t until I was writing this review that I realised there was a supporting Soundcore App that had firmware updates and directions on how to use the controls. Plus, a nifty DIY white noise creator.
Also on the app, which I think would be more useful if it was directly accessible on the earbud controls is the equaliser menu, I often switch between music, podcasts and audiobooks and again have realised I can change the sound clarity but only through the app.
I would also add there’s room for the case to be slightly slimmer, there’s been a few times when I’ve had to squeeze it into a handbag and thought if it was flatter and more compact it would be perfect.
Any negatives?
It’s all in the case where the product dropped causing some marks. I’ve been using the buds for several months now and the case lid has become flimsier, if it’s in my gym or shopping bag and gets knocked I’ve noticed that the buds can drop out of the case, and the buds themselves have also chipped.
Perhaps they’re not designed to be the most indestructible earbuds and case but the sheer irritation when you think they’ve been charging, and lid has caught open, and the bud battery is dead is upsetting when you arrive at the gym and must work out in silence.
I’d also note that when using the earbuds for phone calls, they do pick up a lot of background noise so the caller could not always hear me clearly, so not sure how well the windproof setting works.
More items to consider
Best overall wireless earbuds
Samsung is hardly a newcomer to personal audio. But even so, they exceeded our expectations, especially where its audio drivers are concerned. Now, for this list, we’ve given the Galaxy Buds2 Pro our ‘best overall wireless earbuds’ rating. But, they’re also a contender the for best noise cancellation recommendation too. The only reason these don’t feature twice in this list is that they’re over twice the price of our favourite noise-cancellation earbuds. If you have the cash to throw at these Samsungs and want amazing performance and top-notch ANC, you’ll get the best-performing earbuds you can buy.
When we reviewed the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, we found that they delivered a wide frequency range, enriched with nice deep bass from built-in woofers. The sound quality is second to none across multiple genres. To cap it all, they’re stylish and reliable, with responsive accurate touch controls. There’s a microphone for your voice calls, plus Samsung builds quality. Reassuringly expensive - and worth every penny.
Pros
- Clear and energetic audio
- Accomplished noise cancelling
- Well-balanced touch controls
Cons
- Honestly, very hard to pick fault here
Best wireless earbuds for runners
Top of any runner’s list when buying earbuds is stability. Thankfully, long-time audio experts Bose have created their aptly-named Sport Earbuds. You can expect the signature Bose soundstage and classy build quality, but the key to its success is in the water-resistant (AKA sweat-proof) design and interchangeable buds so that you can fine-tune the fit. Once you’ve done that, these are going nowhere - except wherever you go, firmly but comfortably in place as you run.
There’s even a ‘Find My Bud’ app in case you do drop one as you’re getting your running kit on. Touch control and the ability to make calls make this an excellent wireless headphone choice for runners or anyone doing more active exercise as you can still take or make those calls easily.
Pros
- BOSE app for locating buds
- Water-resistance
Cons
- No noise cancellation
- Not the best battery life, even with the charging case
Best wireless earbuds for the gym
The gym is going to be a punishing environment for any pair of headphones. Gymgoers need them to cope with a wide range of movements, resist sweat, and be comfy. There’s also a variety of ambient noises to deal with, like clanking weights or the whirr of a treadmill. As we found when we reviewed the Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds, they’re something of a game-changer where all of these issues are concerned.
Designed for high-energy activities, the Jabra Elite 7s have a special grippy coating to keep them in place, plus waterproof internals to protect from sweat. They fit snugly with plenty of opportunities for fine-tuning. They also sound great with more than respectable battery life between charges.
Pros
- Great sound
- Secure fitting
- Long battery life
Cons
- Find my Jabra bud-locator app could be better
- Noise cancelling on calls is not great
Who tested it?
Natalie Corner is the Commercial Content Editor across the Specialist Portfolio for Bauer Media. She specialises in fitness gear and wearables for What's The Best.
How the product was tested
The Soundcore by Anker Sport X10 Earbuds have been on test since March 2023, they have been used daily, for listening to music during gym workouts, podcasts and audiobooks while out walking. As well as on public transport and taking phone calls.
Earbuds, earphones and headphones: What’s the difference?
Though the term ‘headphones’ is widely used as a catch-all for all head-based audio gadgets, there are technical differences between headphones, earbuds and earphones.
Headphones are the largest of the three – they are the ones that sit over your ears, connected by the over-head band – the Sony WH-1000XM5 is an example of headphones. Earphones sit in the ear and have a protruding stalk, like the Apple AirPods. Earbuds are the smallest of the three, sitting in the ear and using the ear’s anatomy to hold itself in place – the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro are earbuds.